Anti-inflammatory Sunshine Bowls

The inflammation diet seems like a trendy new diet with a laser-focused approach, but is it worth talking about? Although I refuse to adhere to a specific label, there is much we can learn from this old philosophy in our world today. In fact, I hope you will eat this anti-inflammatory sunshine bowl once a week after hearing my case for the importance of these fruits and veggies (Plus it tastes amazing!). I am grateful for this trend because understanding the “whys” behind certain vitamins is important. Sometimes it’s not enough to hear you eat oranges for vitamin C for the cold and flu season. And this time, I don’t think I need to tell you that by eating this rainbow of color alongside a processed-free dressing you are also getting the rainbow of vitamins. You are getting A, B, C, minerals…pretty much everything but B-12 and D. It’s also the best portion control because fresh fruits and veggies have high water content. You will feel full long before you’ve consumed a ton of calories. Therefore, no calorie counting. Eat till your full, take a break, go back for more! Side note: If you experience bloating when eating a high fiber diet like this, I found that adding a quality probiotic (pill form or fermented foods) really helps my digestive tract.

A couple months ago I had to take my adorable (but old) cat in for a scaly lower back. She was diagnosed with dermatitis. Then my vet prescribed anti-inflammatories for her. I was surprised. Why not prescribe fish oil? Or talk about vitamin deficiencies. His response was pretty clear, whatever the cause (allergies, fleas, stress from our move, etc.), the “itis” on dermatitis means inflamed. Anti-inflammatory is truly the root of many medical conditions.

So I started thinking, what medical terms end in this suffix?

Arthritis

Dermatitis

Colitis

Bronchitis

Sinusitis

Conjunctivitis

Tonsillitis

cystitis

hepatitis

discitis

These are all fancy ways of saying inflammation…whatever the cause. So the next time you feel achy or like you are getting sick, consider healing with foods.

I’ve been hearing a lot lately, “I hate salad, but I eat it anyway because it’s good for me.” Though I think that’s good when you hate all vegetables, I think it’s super important to figure out what ingredients make you LOVE salad. If it’s a warm bacon dressing that makes you eat your greens, a smoothie, your favorite cheese and toppings or whatever else that will help you love salad. Do it. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t like it, you won’t do it long term, and fruits and veggies will effect everything in your body.

For me, this spiralized salad makes me want salad every day!

Carrots: “Carrot extract also has anti-inflammatory properties and provided anti-inflammatory benefits that were significant even when compared to anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Celebrex.” Mind-blowing right? So the next time you feel like a migraine coming on, instead try to “Take Two Carrots and Call Me in the Morning.” Also, read that article. It’s about how we used to rely on food before modern medicine, then relied solely on medicine, and now we’re starting to look at food again for healing.

Beets: “Beetroot is [also] being considered as a promising therapeutic treatment in a range of clinical pathologies associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Its constituents, most notably the betalain pigments, display potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and chemo-preventive activity in vitro and in vivo.” – National Library of Medicine

Olive Oil: I think it’s common place to know olive oil is good for you. In fact, growing up, I pretty much exclusively used olive oil for all my baking, frying, etc. What I didn’t know until recently is that REAL, COLD-PRESSED OLIVE OIL IS DELICATE!! It can’t handle high heat. If you see your oil smoking, you may be at risk turning your olive oil into a carcinogen instead. Yes, we actually can make olive oil bad. But have no fear! Salad is here! Put your cold-pressed, olive oil in your dressings and you will get the benefits that “may reduce cardiovascular risk factors by decreasing plasma triglycerides, total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, platelet activation, inflammation and oxidative damage, and increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and antioxidant status.”

Ginger: Ginger is my favorite friend when I have a headache, it clears my sinuses, and gives me energy when I get the 4pm brain fog. I strongly suggest not using the oil for this since there are conflicting studies when not consumed as a whole food.

“Besides pain relief from arthritis, results of a double-blind comparative clinical trial indicated that ginger (250-mg capsules) was as effective as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs mefenamic acid (250 mg) and ibuprofen (400 mg) in relieving pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea (Ozgoli, Goli, and Moattar 2009).” –National Library of Medicine